Airsure Disaster

[absolutebeginner]

Hello All,

I recently sold my camera and lens to a buyer based in Germany.
As both the camera and lens are heavy I prepared two packages and sent them out via Airsure, insured for £500 each.
Both packages were sent out at the same time to the same address in Germany.
One package arrived three days later, the other one was sent to the USA! Very weird!
Surprise, surprise, the more expensive item was sent to the wrong country.
Reference number is LY893826380GB, item was sent out on 01 June.

As soon as I discovered that I contacted Royal Mail and asked them to re-direct the item to the destination country.
Three days later (!) I got a reply giving me general information and stating that RM can do nothing but 'wait for USPS to notice the issue'.
Two more email exchanges and two telephone calls later and hardly anything has changed.

Good news is the camera has left Chicago on 07 June. Bad news is USPS site says service used is First-Class Package International Service.
Having done some research on USPS site it seems that this is the cheapest, most unreliable and slowest International service USPS provide...
Having googled this service it seems that delivery can take two weeks and more compared to the Priority and Express services which only take 5-7 days.
Also, it seems that my package is no longer treated as insured by USPS.
If everything goes according to plan my buyer will receive his item weeks later instead of within 3-4 days.

My German buyer is very understanding but I am sure that even he is running out of patience now. It has been almost two weeks since I posted the items and, as I said, he received the first package within 3 working days.
I am really frustrated and stressed out. Royal Mail have reduced me to thinking only about this package. I feel responsible towards my buyer and the wait and uncertainty is killing me.
I will probably lose a few hundred pounds as the camera is worth more than the insurance cover.
Also, I have read that if the item arrives within three months RM will deny my insurance claim. Of course, in the meantime I would have refunded the buyer so I can lose double.

Any advice and tips will be greatly appreciated.

[harry84]

Have you tried tracking on Royal Mail again to see if it has routed through UK back (http://www.royalmail.com/trackdetails" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;).

Or GLS Germany who should deliver there?: https://gls-group.eu/EU/en/parcel-tracking" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[absolutebeginner]

Hi, yes, I have. I get more info on USPS website where at least it says that the item has left Chicago for the destination country.
I am really concerned that the package is referred to as 'letter' on USPS website when it is a package weighing almost 2 kilos...

[harry84]

Hi, yes, I have. I get more info on USPS website where at least it says that the item has left Chicago for the destination country.
I am really concerned that the package is referred to as 'letter' on USPS website when it is a package weighing almost 2 kilos...

Nothing on GLS Germany?

[absolutebeginner]

Unfortunately, nothing on GLS Germany.

I have come to the conclusion that my case is a result of' either 1) incompetence of the highest order (i.e. sort an item for Germany for delivery in the USA), or, 2) something even worse, i.e. internal theft.

Are there other options which I am missing?

If not, an internal investigation should definitely be carried out to establish what exactly has happened.

Any idea whom at Royal Mail should I approach and request such an internal investigation.

Obviously, it has to be someone at a high position who could make things happen and take the matter in its all seriousness.

Again, any advice is greatly appreciated.

[TeeferTiger]

Doubt it's theft seeing as it's been scanned in America-unlikely they're working together! I've had a letter arrive at my frame, in the mech mail (i.e. the mail sorted by the machines at the mail centre) that was sent from New York to California. It somehow made it to the UK and up to North Wales! Mistakes do happen, it's just unfortunate it's happened with something so valuable. With regards to the USPS scanning it now as a different service... it could be that there's no contract with them to deliver or do much with it other than forward it on via whatever method they choose because it's not even for their 'jurisdiction' or that it was just scanned along with a load of other items just so that it got a scan.

Either way, there's been a mahoosive c*ck up and you'd be more than entitled to put in a claim for the item with your receipt etc with RM.

[LucasLCC]

Out of curiosity have you tried phoning Royal Mail? I've always found them to be helpful on the end of the phone when I've had an issue.

If you haven't then the number is 08457 740 740. Best bet is on the menus go for option 2, option 4, option 3, and then listen to the nice hold music for a couple of minutes.

[TeeferTiger]

Out of curiosity have you tried phoning Royal Mail? I've always found them to be helpful on the end of the phone when I've had an issue.

If you haven't then the number is 08457 740 740. Best bet is on the menus go for option 2, option 4, option 3, and then listen to the nice hold music for a couple of minutes.

Or ask them on Twitter ( @RoyalMail ) which is less irritating and they're quite prompt.

[absolutebeginner]

Doubt it's theft seeing as it's been scanned in America-unlikely they're working together! I've had a letter arrive at my frame, in the mech mail (i.e. the mail sorted by the machines at the mail centre) that was sent from New York to California. It somehow made it to the UK and up to North Wales! Mistakes do happen, it's just unfortunate it's happened with something so valuable. With regards to the USPS scanning it now as a different service... it could be that there's no contract with them to deliver or do much with it other than forward it on via whatever method they choose because it's not even for their 'jurisdiction' or that it was just scanned along with a load of other items just so that it got a scan.

Either way, there's been a mahoosive c*ck up and you'd be more than entitled to put in a claim for the item with your receipt etc with RM.

Hi, thanks for your input. I hope and prey it is not a theft.
However, out of two packages more valuable item sent to the wrong address. Coincidence?
No priority handling in the USA. Only First Class International instead of Priority/Express. Coincidence?
USPS site says the package is 'International Letter' and not a package. Coincidence?

I do not know how the system works but would it be possible for a RM employee to remove the label and stick it on a letter and/or put a fake/non-existent address in any Airsure country?

I really hope this is only my imagination but the more I think about it the more I come to the conclusion there might be faul play involved.
Hope I am wrong.

[absolutebeginner]

Out of curiosity have you tried phoning Royal Mail? I've always found them to be helpful on the end of the phone when I've had an issue.

If you haven't then the number is 08457 740 740. Best bet is on the menus go for option 2, option 4, option 3, and then listen to the nice hold music for a couple of minutes.

Hi, yes, I spoke twice to Customer Services and twice to the Escalated Resolutions Team. I was not exactly reassured as I was consistently given conflicting information. One lady at CS told me that the package was in US Customs when it already had left the country. Another lady told me that it would take 5 weeks for the package to reach Germany whereas someone from the ERT told me it would take 5-7 days…
Of course, it has been more than 7 days now. CS told me that tracking may not work, ERT told me that I may get 'a bit of tracking'. Go figure...
All very very confusing and not exactly reassuring.

[barrowc]

However, out of two packages more valuable item sent to the wrong address. Coincidence?
No priority handling in the USA. Only First Class International instead of Priority/Express. Coincidence?
USPS site says the package is 'International Letter' and not a package. Coincidence?

This is just your imagination working overtime.

If both items were insured for the same amount then how would we know which was more valuable? Also, as others have pointed out, a stolen item would just cease to be tracked rather than popping up in foreign countries. The non-Priority handling and the International Letter parts are just by-products of whatever agreement Royal Mail have with USPS over Airsure. I would expect USPS to return the item to RM so that RM can pass it to GLS Germany for delivery.

What it does show is one of many gaps in Royal Mail's Track & Trace system. If the intended destination of an item is recorded electronically (in Horizon at a Post Office or through a customer system like DMO), there should be a warning when the item is scanned as being despatchable to a different destination. Obviously this could be overridden if the address on the item was incorrect (e.g. wrong postcode) or if the item was being sent via a different route from normal

[harry84]

Sorry have been away for a bit so just catching up.

Hope the situation gets resolved for the OP.

Incidentally (and apologies for cross posting with another thread on HWDC), have seen another poster on forum this week with ISF to Germany get misrouted to Ireland.

Wider issues with HWDC, maybe? viewtopic.php?f=6&t=53243

[absolutebeginner]

This is just your imagination working overtime.

If both items were insured for the same amount then how would we know which was more valuable? Also, as others have pointed out, a stolen item would just cease to be tracked rather than popping up in foreign countries. The non-Priority handling and the International Letter parts are just by-products of whatever agreement Royal Mail have with USPS over Airsure. I would expect USPS to return the item to RM so that RM can pass it to GLS Germany for delivery.

What it does show is one of many gaps in Royal Mail's Track & Trace system. If the intended destination of an item is recorded electronically (in Horizon at a Post Office or through a customer system like DMO), there should be a warning when the item is scanned as being despatchable to a different destination. Obviously this could be overridden if the address on the item was incorrect (e.g. wrong postcode) or if the item was being sent via a different route from normal

I hope you are right. However, when a system is open for abuse it will be abused. Time will tell whether it was gross incompetence and/or system failure or theft.

My general issue is that it is very easy to turn an apparently speedy and secure service with tracking into a very slow and totally insecure service with no tracking at all.
And, of course, there are RM employees who would be tempted to take advantage...

Anyway, I still want to flag up all these issues surrounding Airsure so any info regarding whom at RM I should approach would be helpful.